Paycheck guides

Plain-English explanations of what happens between your salary and your take-home pay.

• Why your paycheck doesn't match the calculator
  The six usual reasons a paycheck calculator and your real pay stub disagree, and how to fix each one.
• How bonuses are taxed in 2026
  Why a bonus seems to lose so much to tax, the 22% flat federal rate, and how much you really keep.
• The W-4 Step 2 checkbox, explained with numbers
  What the two-jobs checkbox on Form W-4 does to your withholding, with a worked example.
• What changed in paychecks for 2026
  The 2026 changes that affect take-home pay: the Social Security wage base, new IRS tables and state rate changes.
• What changes in your paycheck in 2027
  The 2027 tax brackets, standard deduction and Social Security wage base, and what they mean for take-home pay.